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“The Sower” (after Millet)
by Vincent van Gogh, October-November 1889 |
Readings for Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10
The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah,
of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.
The word of the Lord came to me thus:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
“Ah, Lord God!” I said,
"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”
But the Lord answered me,
Say not, “I am too young.”
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.
Then the Lord extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,
See, I place my words in your mouth!
This day I set you
over nations and over kingdoms,
To root up and to tear down,
to destroy and to demolish,
to build and to plant.
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Commentary on Jer 1:1, 4-10
This is the beginning of the Book of the prophet Jeremiah (the two verses omitted set a span of time in which he was active that is contradicted later in modern manuscripts). It is clear that the author sees the call of the prophet from before his birth (see Isaiah 49:1, 5; Luke 1:15; Galatians 1:15, 16, I knew you, I loved you and chose you, I dedicated you, and I set you apart to be a prophet.)
In spite of protesting that he was not yet of age (he was less than thirty years of age), God tells him that he (the Lord) will overcome all obstacles (“To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you”). The passage culminates with formal statement of his prophetic mission, to tear down (those who follow false paths) and to build and plant (uphold the kingdom of God).
CCC: Jer 1:5 2270; Jer 1:6 2584
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Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17
R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
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Commentary on Ps 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15 and 17
Psalm 71 is an individual lament. In this section we hear a profession of faith in the saving power of God. In the third strophe we also find a reference to the “Servant of the Lord” in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19) and Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1). In both cases the servant is known by God and prepared for his service from the womb.
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Matthew 13:1-9
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
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Commentary on Mt 13:1-9
St. Matthew’s Gospel begins the third great discourse of teachings on the kingdom of God through parables. We hear that Jesus is teaching from a boat, which would provide a natural amphitheater, with the ground sloping to the shore. Here the Lord presents the parable of the “Sower.” Jesus follows the unvarnished parable with a deeper explanation to the disciples (Matthew 13: 18-23). As a historical note, at that point in history in that region, when planting a field, the seed was sown first and then the field was plowed.
CCC: Mt 13:3-23 1724; Mt 13:3-9 546
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Reflection:
I was recently challenged by a group of Catholics who had stopped attending Mass (fulfill their obligations to follow the precepts of the Church). Their argument was that they were good people, they read Scripture (when the need or the impulse struck them), and they prayed regularly. They did not see why they needed to get up early on their only day off, and go some distance to be with people they did not know well, and who, in their estimation, did not really take the celebration of Mass seriously or at least so it appeared to them.
You can imagine how difficult it was to find an end of that tangled mess of rationalized logic to start unwinding. My first statement to them was that, while they might read the Bible at home, which was a good thing, it is impossible to understand what is being said at an individual level. Sacred Scripture was sent, not to the individual, but to the whole world. To presume that the full meaning can be understood as it applies to an individual is like seeing a grain of sand and saying you have seen the beach. There is just not enough context with which to grasp the whole picture.
Next I tried to remind them that, in addition to hearing the Word of God in the context in which it was meant to be received, they also would be eligible to receive the sacramental grace that flowed from the Eucharist. (I said eligible because, given their lapse it was clear they should first be reconciled with the Lord in the confessional.)
Finally I pointed out that, by electing not to attend Mass for the reasons they had given: 1. they didn’t get anything out of it; 2. it was disruptive to their rest and leisure on their day off; 3. they did not enjoy the experience (it was not socially fun), they were being simply lazy and selfish. They were neglecting their spiritual selves, because it takes work to grow in that sense. I also told them that, if they believed, as they said they did, in God and his Son, Jesus, then they were not doing what they were told to do. It was like they were sitting on the bench when they were needed to be playing with the team.
As hard as it was for me to admit it, it appeared that the seed the Lord spoke of in his parable today in this case had fallen on either the path, on rocks or among weeds. It was hard to tell, even though I knew these people very well.
This example is used today because we have been hearing much about the apostolic mission that has been handed on from Jesus to us through the apostles. We have heard how important it is for us to share the faith we have been given. In the Lord’s example today, we know that our efforts will be frustrating, as his were. He tells us that to some of the people we encounter, the word we bring them will find immediate resonance. They will jump at the hope we bring. But like that seed that takes root in rocky ground, once they understand that this is not a sprint, but a distance race, they will tire and go back to the way things were. Does that mean we too should give up? No, because we know that, like training for a race, we start with short distances and build up our strength. We go back and try again.
Also from our example, we know that for some people we approach with word and example, it will be difficult to get them to see the value of the gift God gives. The weeds of secular values have choked the path on which we try to lead them. Christ’s message is not going to build them up in the eyes of their secular peers. In fact, they may see this as a disadvantage, a roadblock to success. After all, the idea of “take no prisoners,” a hallmark in many corporate business plans, conflicts directly with the compassion of Christ’s message.
Others still will have already fallen so far that the word cannot reach them. The birds will have carried them away and the message for them is dead. For these, when we meet them, we need to pray. We will identify them easily because they will be the most vehement critics of the Church and the word.
Today, the message has been given to us in parable, and we thank God that he has given us the wisdom and strength to understand his hope for us. We are persuaded once more to take the Word of God to those we meet, so that God’s will can be accomplished through us. Above all today, we are encouraged to be persistent in our efforts, even when it appears we have been rejected, and the Word has fallen on rocks, on the path, or among weeds. Like Jesus himself our hand must always be outstretched, inviting our brothers and sisters to share the hope, consolation, and love that is the Lord.
Pax
[1] The picture is “The Sower” (after Millet) by Vincent van Gogh, October-November 1889.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible except for the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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